The Warriors played triangle virtually every possession of the second unit in this game, with David Lee in the mid-post. Lee almost never looked at the basket after receiving the ball, instead looking for cutters and open shooters. 7 assists in 16 minutes. Those shots he did take were unassisted — he had to create for himself, usually out of the post. This might help explain to some why Lee scored only two points on four shots. Continue reading →

Wow. That was as brutal a dismantling of a team’s playoff hopes and aspirations as I’ve ever witnessed. I thought the Rocket’s might be a contender before the season started, but no longer. Some things have changed, and some things I simply got wrong. Continue reading →

And the dawn comes up like thunder outer China crost the Bay. — Rudyard Kipling

Somewhere in the middle of this game I became convinced that the Warriors are a championship contender. I’ve known for some time that they had the players — I called their roster the best in the Western Conference before last season. But I’ve never had the confidence that they had the right coach, and the right basketball philosophy, to get deep into the playoffs. Until right now. Continue reading →

The Lakers got the best Christmas present they could possibly wish for in this game against the Warriors: the absence of Kobe Bryant. Could there be any more stark indication of what a bad player Kobe is now? Utterly inefficient. Utterly selfish. A willful and unrepentant destroyer of his team’s offensive chemistry. An indifferent destroyer of his team’s defense (he hasn’t competed on that end in years). It was fascinating to watch the Lakers play like a team on both ends, and I for one was amazed at how the worst defensive team in the league could look for one night like one of the best. Maybe they are one of the best, with Ed Davis in for Boozer, and Wayne Ellington in for Kobe? Wesley Johnson is no slouch — ask Harrison Barnes. Continue reading →

There are some games in an NBA schedule that just can’t be won. And an 11:00 a.m. start on a road game in Texas, playing in a different system than you’re used to, against one of the league’s hottest teams, would seem to be one of them. I’ll confess I wasn’t high on the Warriors chances before this game, to put it mildly. So the fact that the Warriors dominated made a real statement to me. Continue reading →

Only reason I’m choosing to recap this game, or indeed this road trip, is that it’s been awhile, and I have some free time. The Warriors weren’t really tested on this trip, against some truly godawful teams. I don’t think it’s even possible for the bottom of the East to be worse than it is this season. Continue reading →

I always used to say that losing Andrew Bogut’s services made Mark Jackson a better coach. With Steve Kerr, however, the opposite appears to be true. If you ask me, Kerr almost got the Warriors beat in a game they should have controlled. Continue reading →

The amateur GM of the Warriors has given his rookie coaches a lot of difficult puzzles to solve over the years. Veritable Rubik’s Cube rosters of mismatched pieces, that Keith Smart and Mark Jackson struggled to color coordinate. One-way defensive centers who were poor offensive partners for one of the most talented pick and roll point guards to ever play (The Kwame Brown Era, Bogut, Ezeli). Backup power forwards who weren’t power forwards (Lou Amundson, Jeremy Tyler, Jermaine O’Neal, Mo Speights). Defensive wings who couldn’t shoot the three (Dominic McGuire, the rookie Green), or actually defend (the rookie Barnes). Backup point guards who couldn’t shoot the three (the rookie Jeremy Lin, Ish Smith, Acie Law, Charles Jenkins, and yes, Shaun Livingston), or run the team (Charles Jenkins, Nate Robinson, Tony Douglas, Kent Bazemore, Jordan Crawford), or both. Continue reading →